News

IT for government and public sector

December 24, 2014 24 Dec'14
£15bn gap in VAT and excise might be filled by big data analytics

Big data analytics could fill the annual £15bn VAT and excise duty gap, opines statistical software company SAS
December 24, 2014 24 Dec'14
Top 10 cyber security stories of 2014

Cyber security was high on the national agenda in 2014, with the UK government allocating more money on national cyber defence
December 23, 2014 23 Dec'14
Top 10 public sector IT stories of 2014

From a near-independent Scotland to continued problems with Universal Credit, it’s been a bumpy year for UK public sector IT
December 23, 2014 23 Dec'14
Top 10 broadband stories of 2014

Computer Weekly takes a look back at the biggest broadband stories of 2014

December 22, 2014 22 Dec'14
Top 10 CIO interviews of 2014

The top technology chiefs in the UK shared their opinions and experiences of modern IT leadership
December 22, 2014 22 Dec'14
South Korean nuclear power plant attacked by hacker

Computer systems at a South Korean nuclear power plant have been hacked, causing the company to conduct drills to test its ability to cope
December 19, 2014 19 Dec'14
Government chief scientific adviser: 'Don’t trivialise the internet of things'

Government chief scientific adviser publishes report on the internet of things, making several policy recommendations
December 19, 2014 19 Dec'14
Accenture and BT to battle for NHS email contract

The NHS has shortlisted two suppliers for its email system, with BT and Accenture still in the mix
December 18, 2014 18 Dec'14
MP accuses Post Office of acting "duplicitously" in IT investigation

MPs claim Post Office was being "high handed" towards MPs and running a "flawed, deteriorating" accounting system
December 18, 2014 18 Dec'14
Government scraps national roaming in £5bn "not spot" pledge

Government strikes £5bn ‘landmark’ deal with UK MNOs to address mobile "not spots"

December 17, 2014 17 Dec'14
Royal Opera House CTO Rob Greig appointed director of Parliamentary Digital Service

Rob Greig, currently CTO at the Royal Opera House, has been appointed as the first director of the new Parliamentary Digital Service
December 17, 2014 17 Dec'14
Government to lead review into computer science degrees

The government plans to fund an independent review into computer science degree accreditation to improve quality and graduate employability.
December 17, 2014 17 Dec'14
Cabinet Office begins procurement for next stage of Gov.uk Verify

The Cabinet Office has submitted a tender notice for a £150m three-year framework for the provision of identity assurance services
December 17, 2014 17 Dec'14
Technology needed to help ambulance services cope with increased demand

The future of the ambulance and emergencies services needs more investment in networking
December 17, 2014 17 Dec'14
US interception in the EU faces new legal challenges

US government orders against Microsoft to hand over email data 'infringes privacy legislation' in other countries
December 16, 2014 16 Dec'14
MPs to debate subpostmaster IT injustice claims

Debate about the Post Office scheme to redress grievances of subpostmasters will be held in Westminster Hall
December 16, 2014 16 Dec'14
Ofcom names HM Treasury’s Sharon White as chief executive

Sharon White, second permanent secretary at the Treasury, will take the wheel at Ofcom in March 2015
December 16, 2014 16 Dec'14
Move security from IT up to boardroom, says Francis Maude

Minister for the Cabinet Office, Francis Maud has urged businesses to make IT security a boardroom issue
December 15, 2014 15 Dec'14
Digital tools will help police, say Brits

Three-quarters of the UK think giving police more digital technology will improve policing
December 15, 2014 15 Dec'14
Lloyd’s Register Foundation grants £10m to Alan Turing Institute

The Lloyd’s Register Foundation has announced £10m in funding over five years to support research by the Alan Turing Institute
December 15, 2014 15 Dec'14
IBM named as supplier for NHS HR replacement system

IBM has been named as the preferred supplier for the new NHS electronic staff record (ESR) project
December 12, 2014 12 Dec'14
Interview: Lucie Glenday, chief digital officer, Surrey County Council

Chief digital officer Lucie Glenday was brought into Surrey County Council to change the way it thinks about digital services
December 12, 2014 12 Dec'14
Care.data faces more delays over concerns about patients

The NHS’s Care.data scheme may face more delays due to concerns over lack of publicity and clarity of the proposed programme
December 11, 2014 11 Dec'14
Whitehall meets digital leaders – but ignores local government

The UK has played host to its first D5 digital leaders summit, but local collaboration was off the agenda
December 11, 2014 11 Dec'14
HMRC blocks 4,000 phishing sites to protect taxpayers

HMRC has taken down 4,000 illegal websites and responded to 75,000 phishing reports in a bid to tackle online fraud
December 11, 2014 11 Dec'14
Open Data Institute: The UK needs a chief data officer

While the UK leads the way with open data, the Open Data Institute has called for more data to be released
December 11, 2014 11 Dec'14
Cern cuts latency in move from NetApp PCIe flash cards to drives

Large Hadron Collider operator Cern used PCIE flash cards for databases but found their limits and deployed flash drives in NetApp filers
December 11, 2014 11 Dec'14
MobileFirst iOS apps released for airlines, retail and financial services

Apple and IBM have delivered the first fruits of their partnership announced in July 2014
December 10, 2014 10 Dec'14
Cern makes users responsible for cyber security

Cern, the European organisation for nuclear research, has made users responsible for their own cyber security
December 10, 2014 10 Dec'14
Cambridge college replaces legacy EMC with Nimble hybrid flash

Trinity Hall replaces end-of-life EMC Celerra with Nimble Storage CS220 hybrid flash in a complete upgrade of VMware virtual server environment
December 10, 2014 10 Dec'14
Home Office appoints former Credit Suisse technology head as CTO

Home Office appoints former Credit Suisse employee Sarah Wilkinson as its new chief technology officer
December 10, 2014 10 Dec'14
Northamptonshire County Council cuts direct staff by 95% with outsourcing

Northamptonshire County Council will cut its workforce from 4,000 to 150 over five years by outsourcing community services
December 10, 2014 10 Dec'14
Why MPs lost faith in the Post Office's IT investigation, but vowed to fight on

A group of 140 MPs has removed its backing for a Post Office scheme to redress subpostmasters' grievances over alleged false accounting
December 09, 2014 09 Dec'14
Digital governments meet in London to commit to best practices

Digital governments from across the world are meeting in London today as part of the inaugural D5 summit
December 09, 2014 09 Dec'14
Ripa needs regular review, Blunkett tells (ISC)² security congress

The powers of public bodies to carry out surveillance and investigation should be reviewed with every parliament, says David Blunkett
December 09, 2014 09 Dec'14
UCL expands DDN WOS object storage capacity to 3PB

University College London’s object storage goes from 50TB testbed to 3PB of live storage
December 09, 2014 09 Dec'14
Post Office outsources IT to Computacenter in £100m deal

The Post Office has outsourced user computing services to Computacenter in a four-year managed services deal
December 08, 2014 08 Dec'14
MPs blast Post Office over IT system investigation and remove backing

Post Office scheme to redress sub-postmaster grievances over IT system is failing, say MP group supporting alleged victims
December 05, 2014 05 Dec'14
GCHQ web surveillance does not breach human rights, says UK security court

Data interception of citizens by the UK intelligence services complies with the Human Rights Act, according to Britain's top security court
December 05, 2014 05 Dec'14
NSA mobile phone network hacking raises security concerns

Snowden documents reveal NSA unit dedicated to hacking mobile phone networks
December 04, 2014 04 Dec'14
Government aims for 90% digital take-up by 2020

The government aims to have 90% of the UK’s online population using digital public services by 2020
December 03, 2014 03 Dec'14
UKtech50 2014 - The most influential people in UK IT

Computer Weekly has announced the fifth annual UKtech50, our definitive list of the movers and shakers in UK IT
December 03, 2014 03 Dec'14
Computer Weekly UKtech50: Rising Stars 2014

Computer Weekly’s five rising stars of 2014
December 03, 2014 03 Dec'14
Chancellor George Osborne goes after technology tax avoiders in Autumn statement

Chancellor George Osborne says technology firms that use aggressive tax-avoidance schemes will incur a tax charge of 25%
December 03, 2014 03 Dec'14
Report warns of Iranian critical infrastructure compromises

Iranian hackers have compromised critical infrastructure and other networks containing confidential data in 16 countries, a research report warns
December 02, 2014 02 Dec'14
Ministry of Defence consolidates with green datacentre

The MoD is aiming to reduce its IT carbon footprint with the construction of a new datacentre to replace the existing host site in Bath
December 01, 2014 01 Dec'14
Is a local GDS the answer to local authority transformation? Lessons from the Labour digital review

Labour’s digital government review touches on a number of issues, but what’s the future of GDS – and could it be scaled to help local authorities?
December 01, 2014 01 Dec'14
UK helps in operation to shut down websites selling counterfeit goods

UK law enforcement officers have aided an operation to seize 292 domain names used to sell counterfeit goods online
November 28, 2014 28 Nov'14
UK police face steep learning curve on cyber crime

UK police face a steep learning curve in getting to grips with cyber crime, a London watchdog has heard
November 28, 2014 28 Nov'14
Over a hundred cyber criminals arrested in global operation

Law enforcement agencies around the world arrest 118 cyber crime suspects – 40 in the UK – in the third international operation of its kind
November 26, 2014 26 Nov'14
Labour unveils Digital Government Review for input to 2015 election policy

Labour has published a review into digital government which makes recommendations for shaping the future of policy-making
November 26, 2014 26 Nov'14
Public sector will benefit from the shared economy, says government report

Greater shared services in the public sector is among the issues raised in the Unlocking the Sharing Economy government report published today
November 26, 2014 26 Nov'14
TechUK publishes guidelines for UK cyber security exports

TechUK has published a guide to help UK cyber security firms assess the legal and reputational risks of exporting cyber security products
November 25, 2014 25 Nov'14
Pressure on Universal Credit’s digital service mounts as testing begins

Risks remain for Universal Credit as DWP continues its twin-track gradual roll-out of live and digital services
November 24, 2014 24 Nov'14
CIO interview: Juggling politics for shared service success

Newham is one of the poorest boroughs in the UK, yet CIO Geoff Connell is pushing forward a digital strategy
November 24, 2014 24 Nov'14
Cert-UK calls for better cyber threat data-sharing

Cert-UK has called for more UK firms to join the government’s Cyber Security Information Sharing Partnership
November 24, 2014 24 Nov'14
UK considers law to force ISPs to retain and surrender user records

The UK is considering enacting a law to force internet service providers (ISPs) to retain user records and hand them to security agencies if needed
November 20, 2014 20 Nov'14
UK police make four arrests in international cyber crime crackdown

UK police make four arrests during an international crackdown on cyber criminals using malware tools to steal data
November 20, 2014 20 Nov'14
Cyber security a shared responsibility, says Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude

Cyber security is a shared duty as no single organisation has all the answers, says Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude
November 19, 2014 19 Nov'14
Case study: North Wales Fire and Rescue Service secures email for public sector collaboration

The North Wales Fire and Rescue Service (NWFRS) has secured its information exchange with Egress Switch encryption
November 19, 2014 19 Nov'14
Home Office continues to engage with suppliers over Emergency Services Network

The Home Office is continuing its discussions with suppliers around the requirements for the new Emergency Services Network (ESN).
November 19, 2014 19 Nov'14
Senate blocks USA Freedom Act reform to NSA spying

US senators have rejected the USA Freedom Act that would have curbed the NSA's mass internet surveillance
November 19, 2014 19 Nov'14
UK government commits to Open Contracting Data Standard

The UK government has committed to a data standard which claims it will transform procurement in the UK and improve transparency
November 18, 2014 18 Nov'14
HM Revenue and Customs hopes electronic forms will save £800,000 by March 2015

Taxpayers completing forms for HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will be able to do so online by the end of 2014
November 18, 2014 18 Nov'14
Top technology firms lobby Senate for curbs on NSA surveillance

Technology firms join calls from civil liberties groups to the US Senate to pass the USA Freedom Act to curb NSA surveillance
November 17, 2014 17 Nov'14
Interview: 'Government is the best digital startup in London'

Computer Weekly interviews Ministry of Justice chief digital officer Paul Shetler about transforming government public services
November 17, 2014 17 Nov'14
What are the risks for HMRC in ditching its outsourcing mega-deal?

How will HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) mitigate the risks of breaking up one of the largest outsourcing deals ever signed?
November 17, 2014 17 Nov'14
US State Department bolsters email security after suspected breach

The US State Department took its unclassified email system offline to bolster security after a suspected breach in October 2014
November 17, 2014 17 Nov'14
Government needs more conversations with local businesses, says digital chief Mike Bracken

The government needs to have more conversations with businesses of all shapes and sizes on a regional basis
November 14, 2014 14 Nov'14
Security analytics mainstream by 2016, says Arbor Networks

Security data analytics will be mainstream in the enterprise by 2016, predicts Arbor Networks
November 14, 2014 14 Nov'14
Ordnance Survey accused of stifling competition in open data row

Geo-data firm Getmapping accuses Ordnance Survey of using £800m of government contracts to stifle competition
November 14, 2014 14 Nov'14
DVLA partners with Tech Hub to launch Swansea startup incubator

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency partners with startup incubator Tech Hub to launch a new digital work space in Swansea
November 14, 2014 14 Nov'14
Big Brother Watch calls for better NHS data security in light of losses

Big Brother Watch calls for better health data security after a study reveals NHS has suffered an average of six data breaches a day
November 14, 2014 14 Nov'14
Interview: Tim Kelsey, national director for patients and information, NHS

All divisions of the NHS must have electronic patient records by 2020 or risk losing their licence - we talk to the man in charge to find out why
November 13, 2014 13 Nov'14
NHS England unveils plans to deliver digital by 2020

NHS England commits to patient-facing digital services by 2020 in its Personalised Health and Care framework paper
November 13, 2014 13 Nov'14
Ministry of Justice searches for IT staff to join digital team

The Ministry of Justice is recruiting people to join its team tasked with designed digital public services
November 12, 2014 12 Nov'14
Government CTO Liam Maxwell says Microsoft “conversation has changed”

CTO Liam Maxwell says the government's relationship with Microsoft has changed after meeting CEO Satya Nadella
November 11, 2014 11 Nov'14
Councils need to embed digital more, says Hampshire's digital leader

Local public sector needs to ensure digital is embedded into planning, policy and process, says Hampshire Country Council digital leader
November 11, 2014 11 Nov'14
US Postal Service latest government target for cyber attack

Hackers breach the networks of the US Postal Service in the latest of a series of attacks on US government agencies
November 10, 2014 10 Nov'14
Vtesse loses appeal over state aid for broadband in Cornwall

Court rejects Vtesse’ appeal against the European Commission’s decision that state aid for BT was legal
November 10, 2014 10 Nov'14
Digital Scotland passes 150,000 premises with superfast broadband

Scottish government celebrates milestone in £410m Digital Scotland superfast broadband roll-out
November 10, 2014 10 Nov'14
Cyber Security Challenge UK gears up for cyber terror final

The Cyber Security Challenge UK prepares for a realistic cyber terrorist attack simulation to test finalists in March 2015
November 10, 2014 10 Nov'14
Government backs down on prescriptive PSN security compliance

Restrictive security measures are out, a more flexible approach to PSN compliance is in, says government CTO Liam Maxwell
November 07, 2014 07 Nov'14
Ofcom to auction tranche of MoD-owned spectrum

190 MHz of spectrum in two bands currently controlled by the Ministry of Defence is to go under the hammer
November 07, 2014 07 Nov'14
Dark markets downed in international anti-cyber crime operation

International law enforcers have taken down several dark markets operating on hidden Tor networks and arrested 17 cyber crime suspects
November 07, 2014 07 Nov'14
Police forces use private cloud to access Holmes database

Police forces across the UK will access the Holmes major investigation system via a private cloud service
November 06, 2014 06 Nov'14
Cabinet Office launches digital marketplace

The Cabinet Office opens digital marketplace to provide public sector IT buyers with a wide choice of suppliers
November 06, 2014 06 Nov'14
CityFibre takes gigabit network to West Yorkshire

Fibre network operator CityFibre urges businesses in West Yorkshire to sign up to Kirklees Core network service
November 06, 2014 06 Nov'14
Advanced Mobile Location pinpoints 999 calls to within 30m

BT, EE and HTC deploy a new service to pinpoint the source of 999 calls from mobile phones with a far greater degree of accuracy
November 06, 2014 06 Nov'14
Southampton university fuels research with IBM Watson analytics

The University of Southampton has begun a far-reaching initiative to redefine the future of research powered by IBM Watson analytics
November 06, 2014 06 Nov'14
Government’s technology Catapult Network must expand

A network of technology innovation centres needs to expand from seven to 30 by 2030
November 06, 2014 06 Nov'14
UK government joins forces with insurers on cyber security

Government collaborates with the insurance industry to improve how UK businesses manage cyber security risk
November 05, 2014 05 Nov'14
Why national roaming may not be the answer to mobile not-spots

Industry suggests alternative strategies as government threatens to force mobile operators to allow national roaming
November 05, 2014 05 Nov'14
Government open standards - the curious case of Microsoft and the minister

What role, if any, did science minister David Willetts take in helping Microsoft try to overturn government IT policy?
November 05, 2014 05 Nov'14
Vince Cable announces £50m funding for emerging technologies

Business secretary Vince Cable has announced £50m of investment for emerging and “world-changing” technologies
November 05, 2014 05 Nov'14
Ministry of Justice eventually outsources user computing services

The Ministry of Justice has finally contracted Atos to deliver user computing services years after it had planned to go to market
November 05, 2014 05 Nov'14
EU puts €14.4m into UK-inspired open data movement

The EU is investing £11m in three ‘open data’ initiatives
November 04, 2014 04 Nov'14
Departments lack common targets for implementing open-document standards

Whitehall departments have begun publishing plans on implementing the government’s open-document standards policy
November 04, 2014 04 Nov'14
Government asks for more information on digital currencies

The government has released a Call for Information to invite views on the benefits and risks of digital currencies
November 04, 2014 04 Nov'14
GCHQ head calls for overhauled tools to fight extremists online

Newly appointed GCHQ head Robert Hannigan has called for reviewed legal tools to counter internet-enabled extremists